Small Cottage

[This isn't supposed to be taken really seriously, but it IS a post. We did a writing assignment in language today that made me really want to write, and it was all about describing the characters and scenery, with lots of adjectives, so this is what this is. Just practice.]


Sitting on a rock, Serenity Rosensteel stared out at the dreary water. The crisp, cold air was all around, and there was no escaping it, except inside, or through heavy layers. Water would splash up every so often, sprinkling her, but she didn't really mind. There was a boat, a heavy barge, far out in the distance, but Serenity would occasionally stare at it, watching its progress. The weather was overcast, and Serenity couldn't be sure if occasional cold droplets on her skin was the water, or rain, about to pour on her and the rest of this little island.
As for Serenity herself, she seemed to have grown up. Her hair blew around in the wind, and, with no expensive iron to curl it, only slightly wavy. The eyes, wary, the mouth, always frowning. Her face was still beautiful, but it wasn't happy anymore. Her skin was still soft, from never really working, and her broken arm was nearly ready to have the cast off. Her feet were bare, in the cold water, almost like she was punishing herself. Why? Why had she done all those things? Why didn't she just leave? It would have been ridiculously easy. Walking away and apparating. The thought had occurred to her. But she hadn't wanted to. It was completely true- she had been punishing herself, by being a prostitute. For being stupid, for wasting away her grades, and then for leaving everything that mattered. So if she had been punishing herself, what was she doing here? The dank, the dark, she couldn't belong there. She was Serenity Rosensteel, for goodness' sake. People parted like the Red Sea when she walked down the hallways. Serenity Rosensteel deserved a better life. She deserved to be a multimillionare.
The rocks were cold, and hard, as were the people, and the treatment she had gotten from the Astors-- well, at least the mother. Anything was better than Amsterdam, though, and it felt nice to be steady again, although she missed her sister. Selia would be off at Hogwarts, now..
Serenity stood up and got off the rock, turning to go inside.

[-applaud-]

Serenity walked into the cottage, door closing behind her. It was rather dim and dark in there. "Elroy! I told you, you need to light this stupid place up. Lumos." She muttered, light coming out of her wand-tip and up into the lights, immediately brightening the room. It was easier than walking through the dark to try to get to the light-switches, which happened to be on the other side, near the bedrooms and bathrooms.
"Hey, are you getting hungry? I can make some cheeseburgers." Try, she thought to herself. "I mean, if you are hungry." She sighed, turning on some other small lamps, and lighting a couple of candles. The place should be lit up. "Oh, I'm starting a fire. It's cold in here."
And soon, a fire was in the fireplace, and Serenity was curled up on the couch, staring at it.

Elroy, meanwhile, had been moving boxes from room to room. He couldn't figure out what belonged where, so...

[i don't feel like it]

[Thanks so much for supporting my literary mood.]

"HEY! That goes in the bathroom!" Serenity shouted, grabbing a box from him. "Those are towels and chamise curtains. Those do NOT go to the bedroom, nor the laundry room. You're so stupid!"

Elroy quickly took it back. "Watch your arm, eh?" He successfully delivered the box where it belonged.

"My arm is fine! If you lose any of my stuff, I'll sue you." Serenity threatened. "Now, I applied to law school. So don't take my clothes out of the boxes yet, in case I go in the fall. I don't want to be bothered with re-packing."

Rachel knocked on the door.

"Ooh, Ooh, I bet that's Rachel! I sent her an owl, earlier!" Serenity said to Elroy excitedly, rushing over to the door and opening it with her good arm.

"Rachel, huh..." Elroy rubbed the back of his neck. How come such a poor girl like Serenity still had so much stuff to pack? What a pain.

"Oh, I have some hairties in the box marked "CRAP III!" Serenity said. "Those I need with me."

Rachel knocked again, a bit louder. She hoped Serenity would answer it-Sophia was getting restless.

Serenity opened the door. "Oops, sorry!" She muttered. "RACHEL! What's that?!?!? Is that--" She suddenly turned quiet, staring at the bundle.

"This is Sophia," she said quietly. Sophia stared at Serenity, and she reached a hand out. "Is this a bad time for us to come?"

"Oh, no. It's perfect." Serenity said, still in hushed tones. She gently touched Sophia's hand. "She's so beautiful, and perfect.. Oh, look at her little fingernails. Makes me want to get married and have a baby myself. Oh, her eyes are so pretty.." Serenity was still talking quietly, but she sounded entranced by the little Sophia.

Elroy appeared standing over Serenity's shoulder, looking down at Sophia. "Someone got busy."

"Oh be quiet!" But Rachel looked up at Elroy and grinned at him. "You look a lot better the last time I saw you!" she turned back to Serenity. "Would you like to hold her? She likes people."

"Um, I'd love to. But will the cast hurt her? I don't want to drop her or anything. I'd better not. Oh, her feet.." Every minute it seemed Serenity found something else perfect about Sophia.

Rachel then stepped inside, and got Sophia all situated before turning her attention back. "This is very nice place! Is it yours', or Elroy's?"

"We're sharing," Serenity said, grudgingly. "But it's mostly mine."

"Wow..." she looked around again. "...So, let's talk about the good things that's happened to you, instead of the bad," she said quietly. Rachel looked up at her. "Are you going to ever go back to school?"

Elroy returned to his unpacking and whatnot.

"I'm trying to get into law school. It might not work. If not, I'm going to be a professional waitress. Did you talk to Liv, then? How is she?"

Serenity was having rather deep thoughts lately, terrifying, deep thoughts.
"Do you think I'm going to get married and have kids, like Rachel?" She asked, one morning during breakfast. "I want to have beautiful babies. Do you think I'll get through law school?" She seemed genuinely concerned. After all, she had received her acceptance letter to law school just the past week. These thoughts were bound to hit her.

Elroy didn't look up from his oatmeal. "Yeah, sure, whatever," he mumbled between bites.